NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A group of advocates is going to the Tennessee Capitol on Wednesday, pushing lawmakers to opt into a federal program that would provide eligible families $120 per child to spend on groceries during the summer months.
The organization Share Our Strength is holding its first state advocacy day in Nashville for its No Kid Hungry campaign, urging legislators to participate in the Summer EBT program. About 700,000 Tennessee children would qualify for the benefit, which is designed to help fill the nutrition gap when kids are not receiving school breakfast and lunch.
Tennessee participated in the program in 2024 but did not opt in for 2025. Advocates say joining the program could bring roughly $80 million in federal funding into the state — money they say would flow back to local grocers and farmers markets.
For Marissa Spady, a senior manager of No Kid Hungry state campaigns at Share Our Strength, the issue is also personal.
"It's hard for them to learn when they're in school and their stomachs are growling during the school year, so I can't imagine we don't want children. Who don't, you know, we want them to go and have a fun summer and enjoy the beautiful state of Tennessee, but if they're worried about where their next meal's coming from, they have the, they run the risk of going back to school still hungry," Spady said.
The goal of Wednesday's advocacy day is to thank lawmakers who already support the bill and to bring more on board so Tennessee opts into the program every year it is available.
Watch the full report to hear directly from advocates on the ground at the Capitol and find out what it could mean for 700,000 children in our state. Have a story about child hunger in your community, or want to share your thoughts? Reach out directly to reporter Eric Pointer at Eric.Pointer@NewsChannel5.com.
This story was reported by Eric Pointer and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Eric Pointer and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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